Transfer Applicants

Transfer Applicants

GW considers anyone who has graduated from high school and completed at least one college course since high school graduation as a transfer student. We seek transfer applicants who have succeeded academically at another college or university and have motivation to thrive at GW.

We will evaluate your academic background at each institution of higher education previously attended and will consider your high school record and standardized test scores (if applicable), essays, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and interest in the university.

Each year we welcome transfer students from a wide variety of colleges and universities. This year, will it be you? 

Transfer Credit

We can only provide individual transfer credit evaluations for admitted students. As you consider your journey to GW, you can review historic transfer credits to see what courses MAY transfer over to GW. Equivalencies are not guaranteed, are from one point in time, and may be out of date, thus they should only be used as a guide. Complete the form below to request a guide.

Request Transfer Credit Equivalencies

Transfer Application Deadlines

Transfer Application Steps 

Submit an Application

Complete and submit an application for transfer admission. (GW's application will be available in mid-August.) The application requires a nonrefundable application fee of $80.

This application, built specifically for students interested in transferring to GW, allows you to add your personal information, academic history, and essay. It also allows you to request your required faculty recommendation and college report.

Please note: Your application is not complete and we cannot begin the application review until we receive all required information. Be sure to complete all sections of your application.

Supporting documentation (including a resume, college report, and letters of recommendation) can be submitted via the application, via email to [email protected], or via mail to our office:
     The George Washington University
     Office of Undergraduate Admissions
     800 21st St NW Suite 214
     Washington, D.C. 20052

Please note that electronic submission is preferred and will allow us to complete your application in a timely manner.

Please allow us several weeks from the time the application is submitted to process all supplemental documents and post them in the GW Admissions Portal. During the busy application period, your portal is the best resource, as we are continually updating students' applications and documents. You will receive a link to the portal with instructions on how to log in after your application is submitted.

Please ensure that the applicant's legal name is included on all corresponding documentation. For applicants who use a name that differs from their legal name, please use the Chosen Name field to include that information. All international applicants must provide a permanent, physical mailing address (that is not a post office box).

If you are applying to any of these academic programs, you must submit the required supplemental essay(s) or portfolio and/or schedule an audition. Further information about these programs can be found on our undergraduate admissions website.

• School of Media and Public Affairs
• BFA Programs in the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design

Send Official Transcripts

Official transcripts are required for each college or university that a transfer applicant previously attended. These credentials are required (whether or not credit was earned or is desired) and should be sent directly from the registrar's office to GW's Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Email transcripts must be sent directly from the sender's school email address in order to be considered official.

For applicants with less than 30 college credits, transcripts are also required from any high schools attended and should be sent directly from the school to GW's Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

For international applicants, if your original transcripts are not in English, please submit both the original documents as well as certified English translations.

Send Optional Test Scores

GW is test-optional, meaning students applying for first-year or transfer admission are not required to submit standardized test scores (SAT or ACT). GW  requires SAT/ACT scores from the following groups:

• Applicants applying to the accelerated Seven-Year B.A./M.D. Program
• Applicants who were homeschooled
• Applicants who attended secondary schools that provide only narrative evaluations

Should you submit SAT or ACT scores, please be mindful of GW’s test score codes:

• SAT Code: 5246
• ACT Code: 0664

Note, we consider only the critical reading and math sections of the SAT for admission.

Because we take a holistic approach to the application review process, we have no minimum GPA or SAT/ACT requirements for admission. However, admission to GW is competitive; admitted students are typically strong academic students in their high school graduating class.

Applicants indicate their test option under the Application Information section. Once an application has been submitted, that selection cannot be changed. If an applicant has previously submitted test scores to our office but indicates on the application that they would not like their scores considered, test scores will not be viewed during application review. Please note that following the release of our admissions decisions, we may ask all admitted students to submit test scores for research purposes.

Submit a Faculty Recommendation

GW strongly encourages submitting one academic recommendation for transfer applicants. A recommendation can be requested via the Recommendations section of the application. Your recommender will then get an email with instructions on how to submit their letter of recommendation for you to GW.

Submit a College Report

GW requires a College Report from your current or most recent college where you were enrolled full time. This form should be completed by the registrar or appropriate dean or college official who can verify your enrollment and academic/disciplinary standing.

To request a College Report from your school official, navigate to the Academic History section of the application. The College Report section is at the bottom of that page.

Submit a Portfolio (Corcoran Only)

Portfolio reviews are required for our BFA programs, with the exception of the BFA in Interior Architecture. Your portfolio should tell your story in a way that makes sense to you. We have no restrictions or requirements on what should be in your portfolio other than what you believe to be your strongest work. It is important to make sure that this is the best representation of you as an artist, and of your work up to the point of your application. Here are a few portfolio guidelines:

• All students are required to submit 12-20 completed works of art
• The included work should be your best and most recent work
• If possible, the work should be related to your area of interest

IMPORTANT NOTE WHEN SELECTING YOUR INTENDED MAJOR IN THE APPLICATION

It is very important that the majors match in both the application and SlideRoom. Please take care when selecting the program (ex. BA in Fine Arts vs BFA in Fine Arts), and make sure you've selected the same major in both locations.

Check Your Application Status

After submitting your application, your admissions portal display your checklist of supporting materials. You'll be able to upload or request some documents directly from the portal. Note that it may take several weeks to process documents and post them to your GW portal.

During the busy application period, your GW Portal is your best resource, as we are continually updating students' applications and documents. Following our application review, you will receive an email when your application decision is ready in your portal.

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact us.

International Transfer Applicants 

If you are an international student looking to transfer to GW, you must follow all of the application steps for transfer students as well as some additional ones.

International Applicant Requirements

Have Questions? 

GW's Office of Undergraduate Admissions is committed to supporting our transfer applicants. Our dedicated transfer team is here to help you navigate the application process and to answer any questions you may have. 

Contact us at [email protected] or individually:
Chris Butler, Associate Director for Transfer and Spring Admissions
Ellie Frank, Assistant Director for Transfer and Spring Admissions